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Minutes for SB126 - Committee on Health and Human Services
Short Title
Enacting the physician assistant licensure compact to provide interstate practice privileges for physician assistants.
Minutes Content for Wed, Mar 5, 2025
Carly Choi, Revisor of Statutes, provided on overview of SB126.
Michelle Richart, Midwest Regional Liaison for the Defense-State Liaison Office, United States Department of Defense, provided testimony in support of SB126 (Attachment 9). The Department has advocated for improved licensure and career portability for military service members and their spouses for several years. Military spouses are disproportionately affected by state-specific professional licensing requirements that can causes delay and gaps in employment. Military spouses experience unemployment at significantly higher rates than their civilian peers. Moving state to state, obtaining licenses in order to obtain employment is important. Compacts will serve to relieve one of the many stressors of a military move and support military families' financial and personal well-being.
Lt. Col. Keith Marshall, The Adjutant General’s Office, provided testimony in support of SB126 (Attachment 10). This bill is a priority of the Department of Defense. Military spouses face significant employment challenges with an unemployment rate consistently around 21%. These compacts play a vital role in supporting military families by easing the transition for spouses and professionals who require state-specific licenses to work. These agreements streamline the process of transferring professional licenses across state lines. The compacts provide greater job stability and allow maintaining employment without lengthy re-certifications and additional coursework.
Doug Smith, Executive Director, Kansas Academy of Physician Assistants, provided testimony in support of SB126 (Attachment 11). The compact is a crucial step forward in further improving healthcare access, enhancing workforce mobility, and ensuring better patient outcomes. The PA compact does not alter or extend the scope of practice for PAs practicing in Kansas. Passing the legislation will allow Kansas to join 13 states already participating in the compact, with at least 14 states considering joining.
William Wick, Senior Director of Government Affairs, Kansas Chamber, provided testimony in support of SB126 (Attachment 12). These interstate compacts streamline the transfer of occupational licenses across state lines. The compacts do not add additional licensing requirements, change the Kansas licensing requirements, nor change the continuous education requirements. The compact will not only help military spouses, but allow physician assistants from other states, which have passed the compacts, the option to have their licenses recognized in Kansas.
The following provided written only proponent testimony:
Katrina Abraham, Government Affairs-Kansas, The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce (Attachment 13)
Michael Kelly, President, Kansas Council of Chapters, Military Officers Association of America (Attachment 14)
The hearing was closed.
